Hungry birds

I was out very early today walking along the Forth and Clyde Canal on my way to the gym  The swans, ducks, moorhens and seagulls were squabbling over the food someone had left out.  In the extras you can see the swans trying to make their way through the ice.  It's a tough time of the year for them, I was thinking today that this pair could be quite old, later I'll search to see what the average age is for mature swans.  Unfortunately it's been quite a few years since these two have managed to rear a cygnet, the seagulls and foxes usually get them.  It's heartbreaking to look on at it in the spring, counting the cygnets and seeing how quickly their numbers reduce and then eventually they're all gone.